Share

Provinssirock 2017 is one of Scandinavia's largest music festivals, and is also known as The Party of the People. It is the largest Finland rock festival in the country with close to 100,000 attendees each year, and occurs for three days in June. Since its beginning in 1979, it has been held in the mid-sized city of Seinajoki located in the western part of the country.

Provinssirock Festival History and Facts

The Provinssirock Festival occurs over three days in June (it has on occasion in the past only been two days), and opens the summer festival season. You can find another summer Finland rock festival on the island of Ruissalo in Turku off the southwest coast of the country. This occurs during the first weekend in July. It was founded in 1970 and is the second oldest rock festival in Europe. It is the oldest in Finland. There is also Ilosaarirock in mid-July, which is located in Joensuu in the eastern part of the country.

Tickets for the festival go on sale in January, and are available as one- or two-day tickets or a ticket for the entire event. Once you purchase a ticket, it allows you admission to the camping site, whether you choose to stay there or not.

Directions to Provinssirock

Flying to the Provinssirock Festival 2017 can be done on commuter flights from the capital city of Helsinki. There are seasonal flights from Kittilla in Lapland in the far north of the country near the border with Norway. The easiest way to get here is via the three-hour train ride from Helsinki. The Provinssirock Festival grounds are a little over two miles from the city center, which can be walked. There is a festival bus departing from the train station every 15 or 20 minutes. This bus also makes stops at the camping area and the schools where hostel-type accommodation is available.

Lodging Near Provinssirock

There is only one camping area, and it cannot accommodate all festival goers (the camping is free with a Provinssirock Finland rock festival admission ticket). In addition to the school accommodations, there are a number of small budget hotels in the city and a handful of three-star properties. There are also farmhouse accommodations and bed and breakfast inns. An interesting fact about Provinssirock is that many local families will rent out rooms in their homes, so it pays to look for this kind of lodging. Additionally, there are some vacation rentals, especially around the lake, as this is a popular summer vacation spot for many Finns. Obviously, it also pays to make your arrangements as far in advance as possible in order to ensure you have the lodging of your choice.

Nearby Attractions and Other Festivals

Oddly enough, this smallish city in Scandinavia, along with Buenos Aires in Argentina, is a center for the sultry tango dance, and in addition to Provinssirock another of the summer festivals held here is the Tangomarkkinat (Tango Festival). This is the largest of the festival events in the country, drawing more than 100,000 people from around the world. It is also the oldest tango festival in the world (1985), and was inspired by the great Finnish tango singer Olavi Virta (1915-1972). This is the home of the Midnight Sun, and you are quite apt to see tango dancers plying their art in the streets and enjoying the sunshine at midnight.

The Tango Festival is held during July, as is the city's other big event, the Vauhtijot Race & Rock, a combination motor racing competition and music festival. The city's other claim to fame is as the home district of the famous Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto, and there are several of his creations in the city and surrounding region. The city center church, City Hall, public library, and theater were all designed by Aalto.